June 29, 2009

GOLDFOOT in HDCalling all Spy Vibe gamers and PS3 Blu-ray owners. Although the second Dr. Goldfoot film, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, is not available on DVD in the US, I did discover today that the film is available for download on the Playsation Network from Sony. Imagine my Spy Vibe delight when I finally had Wi-Fi installed in my lair today, turned on the PS3, and saw Goldfoot listed as a new release! The film is available for rent in Hi-def or Standard def, and for sale in Standard def.Both Goldfoot films are available for rent or purchase on iTunes.I notice that Hulu streams the films directly on IMDB as well. You can't escape Dr. Goldfoot!

June 27, 2009

UNCLE CONTEST WINNERThanks to everyone who entered the Man From U.N.C.L.E. book contest and congratulations to the winner of the random drawing, Mirko di Wallenberg! Send your address to me at jason@spyvibe.com. Stay tuned for new posts and contests.

June 23, 2009

GIVE-AWAY: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. -ENDS JUNE 25TH!It's Spy Vibers appreciation and birthday week, and there are prizes to be won! Today's contest is for the first Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel. Published in 1965 by ACE, mystery/spy author Michael Avallone's "Man From U.N.C.L.E. (The Thousand Coffins Affair)" began what became the most successful and prolific TV tie-in franchise of books (23 novels) until it was surpassed by Star Trek. Said to be grittier and more violent than the TV episodes, the novels are an exciting trove of new adventures for U.N.C.L.E. fans looking for more stories.

TO WIN:A random drawing will be made on June 25th. To enter, simply post a comment on this announcement at the Spy Vibe blog, telling us what your favorite U.N.C.L.E. memory is and why. That's it. Good Luck! Stay tuned for more prizes. Having trouble posting? Send your U.N.C.L.E. note to me at jason@spyvibe.com.

June 17, 2009

Greetings spy vibers! A quick post from my iPhone as I make my way on Metro north. I discovered some great treasures in NYC that I look forward to sharing with you when I return to California. Don't forget to enter the golgo 13 and man from uncle contests (see previous post for links). Best, agent j

June 7, 2009

THE PRISONER ON BLU-RAYAccording to the Blu-ray website, A&E is planning to release one of our all-time fave shows on Blu-ray this fall -THE PRISONER! Here's hoping that we see The Prisoner followed by The Avengers. From Blu-ray.com:

In an early announcement to retailers, it has been revealed that A&E Home Video will release the cult British TV series 'The Prisoner' on Blu-ray on October 27. No release details have been disclosed at this time, other than it will be a five-disc set. This series had been announced in the UK earlier in the year, but the release was abruptly postponed without a date. The series starts with a secret agent resigning his post at an unnamed intelligence agency. Shortly thereafter, he is drugged and taken to a place just known as 'the Village', a prison town where nobody has names, only numbers. The protagonist is 'Number Six'. The head authority of the Village is Number Two. Apart from the obvious plot mysteries (where is the Village? why did Number Six resign? who is holding him captive? who is Number One? will Number Six escape?), the series touches upon several pressing issues in the 1960s, such as that of individuality versus authority. Also notable was the visual aspect of the series, helped to a great degree by the use of the whimsical Welsh village of Portmeirion. The release date is probably linked to the November air date of the series remake, starring Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel.

BRAINWASHINGWhile I was researching for last week's posts about Fembots and Brainwashing, I came across a book on Amazon that might be of interest to Spy Vibers. There are no reviews yet and the prize is a bit high, so you may want to try inter-library loan to check it out. Info from Amazon:Brainwashing: The Fictions of Mind Control: A Study of Novels and Films Since World War II by David Seed (2004/325 pages)

Product DescriptionAn examination of the literary and cinematic representations of brainwashing during the Cold War era. The term "brainwashing" coined during the Korean War, was popularized by a CIA operative who was a tireless campaigner against communism. it took hold quickly and became a means to articulate fears of totalitarian tendencies in American life. David Seed traces the assimilation of the notion of brainwashing into science fiction, political commentary, and conspiracy narratives of the Cold War era. He demonstrates how these works grew out of a context of political and socail events and how they express the anxieties of the time. This study reviews 1950s science fiction, Korean War fiction, and the film The Manchurian Candidate. Seed provides new interpretations of writers such as Orwell and Burroughs within the history of psychological manipulation for political purposes, using declassified and other documents to contextualise the material. he explores the shifting view points of how brainwashing is represented, changing from an external threat to American values to an internal threat against individual American liberties by the U.S. government. Anyone with an interest in science fiction, popular culture, or the Cold War will welcome this study.

About the AuthorDavid Seed is professor of American literature at Liverpool University in England. He has published on a wide variety of literary subjects and established the first British Master's program in science fiction. He is currently the series editor for Science Fiction texts and Studies, published by the Liverpool University press.

June 6, 2009

THUNDERBIRDS CONTEST WINNER!Here on the Spy Vibe blog, Spy Vibers have posted their comment/entries for the THUNDERBIRDS dvd set contest. Winner announced from the blog: Thanks everyone! So great to hear about your experiences with Gerry Anderson shows. Warren, Joe 90 did have a cool theme song! And Tanner brings up a great live-action show, The Protectors. Especially nice to see interesting middle-aged action heroes in that show. As a US viewer we have an unfortunate obsession with "perfect" looking young characters. Check out all the supermarionation shows mentioned- they are ingenious, adventurous, and fun :) Looking for behind-the-scenes context? Sylvia Anderson's books, various documentaries (some on Youtube), and The Art of Mike Trim are all excellent.

The winner is... Robert Lindsey! Send your address to me at jason@spyvibe.com. Congrats and thank you to everyone who entered. The next contest deadlines are coming up for a Golgo 13 novel and an original Man From U.N.C.L.E. novel from 1965. I look forward to hearing your comments about assassin stories and fave UNCLE moments :) -Jace

June 5, 2009

To celebrate the definitive release of Gerry Anderson's Fireball XL5, Network have arranged a special event on Saturday 27 June at the Odeon Covent Garden. To open there will be a 35mm screening of 'The Day The Earth Froze', newly struck from the original negative. In complete contrast, the first ever public screening of the newly colorized and restored episode 'A Day In The Life Of A Space General' will follow in high definition. A 10 minute extract from our brand new documentary 'A Wonderland Of Stardust' will conclude the screenings. Special guest Gerry Anderson will then take part in a Q and A moderated by Richard Hollis. Other special guests are to be confirmed.The box set is released on Monday 29 June but a limited number will be available to purchase on the day at the special price of £35. Gerry Anderson will be signing copies on the day.

June 2, 2009

The winner in the random drawing for The Prisoner CD soundtrack set is... C.K.Dexter Havan! Congratulations and thank you to all who entered the contest. There are more prizes this month, so I encourage Spy Vibers to enter for a chance to win.

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Jason Whiton

Jason Whiton is an award-winning writer, artist, educator, and the creator of Spy Vibe, a website devoted to Cold War design and pop culture that has seen nearly two-million visitors. His publications include Rolling Stone, USA Weekend, & Mort Walker Conversations. His book Spy Vibe will be released in 2017. Whiton's work as a screenwriter and filmmaker has been recognized by the Nicholl Fellowships (Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences), PBS, and major film festivals and museums. His most recent piece is a music re-mix and award-winning film for Yoko Ono. Whiton's spy novel about a 1960s fashion model, MIKI ZERO, is out with agents. The story is inspired by his passion for Ian Fleming and the culture of Japan, where he lived for many years.
Jason loves creative projects & collaborations, and he enjoys helping young people to explore their lives as artists. He teaches Art in San Francisco.